Valley’s air police want a word with your burger

FRESNO — Your favorite fast-food restaurant or steakhouse might be adding to the San Joaquin Valley’s super-sized air pollution problem.

Alex Breitler

FRESNO — Your favorite fast-food restaurant or steakhouse might be adding to the San Joaquin Valley’s super-sized air pollution problem.

That’s why Valley air pollution cops want to beef up a rule requiring restaurants that charbroil meat to upgrade their equipment — a rule, restaurant lobbyists say, that could choke off business and jack up prices.

What’s the problem?

The Valley fails to meet a federal standard for tiny particles of dust, soot and smoke. Most of this crud comes from cars and trucks, farms and industry, but there are smaller sources you might not have thought about.

Here’s what happens: When your burger cooks on the grill, grease drips down and sizzles, sparking flame and spewing smoke. That smoke and other vapors contain dangerous particles that often escape into the atmosphere.

How much pollution are we talking about here?

That depends on what’s being cooked — fatty beef or lean seafood. According to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the nearly 2,500 known charbroilers in the region sizzle up more than 75,000 tons of meat each year.

The new rule could prevent the release of anywhere from 0.26 tons to 2.6 tons per day of particulate matter across the Valley. That’s not much, when you consider that in 2006 the Valley emitted more than 527 tons of particles daily.

But air quality officials are shaving off every piece of pollution they can. Developers, farmers and any resident who burns firewood have been subject to other new rules.

“Literally everyone is impacted, and everyone will get the benefits when this is all said and done,” said George Heinen, supervisor of rule development for the district.

What’s the catch?

This is bad timing, the restaurant industry says. New technology to clean up charbroiling could cost anywhere from about $2,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on the technology restaurants choose.

“The last thing restaurants want to do is pass these additional costs onto customers, as suggested by the district, at a time when restaurants are losing customers and are doing everything they can to keep their doors open,” said Amalia Chamorro, director of local government affairs for the California Restaurant Association.

The district will exempt businesses that cook small amounts of meat, and, yes, your backyard barbecue is still OK.